The Tribune

By LESH

ALTHOUGH the political debut of recording artist Sammi Starr was short-lived, his career in politics is not over.

Sammi said running as a candidate for the South Beach Constituency on the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) ticket allowed him a taste of Bahamian politics, and now he wants more.

The popular Bahamian artist withdrew his candidacy before the general election, but said he plans to return to the political arena in 2017. He is not sure which party he will align himself with next.

"I see my self joining up with another political party in the future simply because I've noticed pretty much that in order to have the effect that you would want to have as a political leader, you would have to align yourself with a party that is established," said Sammi.

"All of them - PLP, FNM and DNA - are established at this point, but you would have to align yourself with a party, whether it is the one you started out with or another one, in order to achieve political success at some point in time," he said.

When asked whether his stint as a politician conflicted with his music career, he said: "Yes and No".

Sammi said he had to stop performing as much in the beginning because he had to show people that he had a message to give them.

"I had to show them that I had a service that I would have liked to provide for the country, that didn't include me simply entertaining them. I couldn't sing and talk at the same time, so I had to press pause on the singing, so that I can start talking," said Sammi.

He said people thought he left the music industry, but the truth is he never really left. He never stopped working on his music, even during the campaign.

"I didn't perform as much because a lot of performers actually stopped asking me to perform because they assumed that I wouldn't perform because I was a candidate. Promoters actually told me this," said Sammi.

He said he did not feel bad or angry about it, but it did make him think. It made him think about the perception people have that entertainers and politicians are not compatible personas.

Now that he is all music, Sammi said his experience in the political limelight inspired him to bring a more mature feel to his music.

"Not that I ever had any bad music, I was pretty much well known for having all positive music. Music being all about love, staying in school and all of that good stuff. The majority of my fans were/are parents, as a matter of fact. But the message of my music has matured a little bit, to include the message that I would've given as a political candidate or as a leader. It had to mature to include messages about development for the country, motivation, encouragement for young people and stuff like that," said Sammi.

Sammi said he still has more and more new music for his fans.

Currently playing on radio stations in the Bahamas is his most recent single, "Not Over You".

"I have never shot a music video before and I have never really put out a mixture or an album, and a lot of people would be surprised. But I am working on and putting out a mixture this year, available for free download. I am definitely shooting at least three music videos this year," said Sammi.

He said the response for "Not Over You," has been overwhelming.

"I listen in and hear people request the song all the time on the radio. I also get a lot of messages on Twitter of people telling me how much they love the song and the lyrics," he said.

The single is available for fans on youtube and it is also for sale on Itunes. Sammi encourages music lovers to go on Itunes and purchase the song. Be an encouragement to Bahamian artists that are actually putting music out there and trying to make a living from it, he said.